I Won’t Be A Puppet, I Will Resign If Sidelined ─ Dep. Special Prosecutor Nominee

Cynthia Jane Naa Korshie Lamptey, the Deputy Special nominee has sent a strong caution that she would not be a puppet at the office she’s being sent, and that she has been sent there to work and that is exactly what she would do, adding that should she be sidelined because she is a Deputy, she will resign from her position.

Answering questions during the vetting of the Deputy Special Prosecutor nominee, a member of the Committee Bernice Adiku Heloo was of the view that deputy appointees tend to be sidelined and underutilized especially when they are women. Seeking the nominee’s reaction should she be faced with similar situation in her new office, she asserted that she would resign in that case, saying “Hon. I assure you that if I face something of that sort, I would resign, because I wasn’t put there just for cosmetic sake”.

She added that, she was put there to work and should that be the case, she would first bring same to the attention of the person involved, but should she establish that it was deliberate attempt to sideline her, she would resign.

There is the general perception that most bosses, especially those of political leadership tend to sideline their deputies, in most cases rendering them underutilized.

On her views on whether something should be done about the Law of Causing Financial Loss to the state, as demanded by Anthony Karbo, member of the Committee, she indicated that the law as it stands seeks to deal with corruption, so until she encounters any lapse in the course of her duties, the law could be as it is.

She assured all that, the office of the Special Prosecutor would stay within its mandate, adding that there would be no conflict between the Office of the Special Prosecutor and that of the Attorney General, because their mandates are clearly defined. She said this in response to the question of whether there could possibly be conflict of interest between the Attorney General’s Department and the Office of the Special Prosecutor.

The nominee further advocated for the making of corruption a higher offense to deter people from engaging in same. She indicated that current punishment regime is not hard enough to deter prospective offenders, for which matter it should be considered making it a higher offense.

The Committee subsequently recommended her for approval unanimously.

By: Frederick E. Aggrey